Students protest war with Iraq

www.thebatt.com By Esther Robards-Forbes February 04, 2003

Shouts echoed across the Academic Plaza Monday afternoon as students gathered to protest the possible war in Iraq.

"Bush, Exxon, Mobil, Shell! Take your war and go to hell!" was the call taken up by the group of more than 30 students, faculty and staff. The group carried picket signs declaring, "Give peace a chance!" and "Disarm Bush!"

The anti-war protest was the first on Texas A&M's campus in a long time, but it will not be the last, the protesters said.

The protest was organized by residents Karen Glover, Marie Leonard and Christina Morales, who invited community groups such as the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and student groups such as the Aggie Democrats and the Green Party to participate.

Protesters obtained more than 150 signatures from students who supported the peace movement, according to Jonathan Steed, president of the Aggie Democrats.

"I see nothing to be gained by going to war," said Bob Presley, an oceanography professor who has taught at A&M for 32 years. "We don't want (Iraq) developing weapons, but with the inspectors there, that is unlikely to happen. Killing thousands of civilians is not the way to solve this problem."

The protest was organized mainly to raise awareness on campus about the issues surrounding President George W. Bush's plans for war, Leonard said.

Steed said he is worried the war with Iraq will be motivated by the wrong reasons.

"Bush's administration has been bought and paid for by the oil companies, and that is what this war is about. Russia and the U.S. have already started negotiations on splitting up Iraq's oil once the war is over," Steed said. "There's evidence right there. We haven't been attacked and by going in there we'll destabilize the whole region and open a huge can of worms."

Steed said he thinks the Bush administration is not considering the interests of all American citizens.

"One-third of our nation's homeless are veterans, and Bush wants to create more, even after cutting funding to the VA hospitals," he said. "Bush and Cheney have never been in combat. I'm going to listen to the people who have been in combat, and right now most of those people are against this war."

With current economic problems in Venezuela meaning less exported gasoline to the U.S., it is estimated that a war with Iraq will cause gasoline prices will skyrocket to as much as $3 a gallon in some parts of the country, Steed said.

"I really don't think that most students want to pay more at the gas pump," Steed said.

Other students felt that war with Iraq is unavoidable.

Paul Cozby, a freshman international business management major, said he supported the protesters after he stopped to sign the protesters' petition in the plaza.

"I support peace," said Cozby. "War is the last resort, but in some cases it can't be avoided. I don't want Saddam to sell a nuke to al-Qaida."

Steven Mitchell, a member of the Corps of Cadets and sophomore environmental design major, said war is sometimes a necessary evil.

"If not for war we would be speaking Japanese or German. (Iraq) is going to bring this war on everyone whether we like it or not," said Mitchell.

Halfway through the protest, Denita Noland, the interim minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, stepped up on one of the nearby benches and the protesters fell silent.

"The leaders of our great nation have forgotten the lessons of history and war," said Noland, as the shadow of a flag at half-staff fell across the crowd of protesters. "How many flags will fly at half-mast in Iraq if we invade? Every life is precious and every life should be mourned."

The protesters also held a vigil at 6 p.m. on the Academic Plaza, but at around 6:10 p.m. about 100 Corps members arrived at the Academic Plaza to demonstrate in support of war.